Underlandian, At Last
by SushiSarcasm
Summary: Alice is barely home, and already regrets her decision to leave Underland, especially with her Hatter left behind. A sudden suspicion will spur her to go back, but will the Hatter greet her as warmly as she expects, and what else might she uncover now?
1. Suspicions

So you know: Because wishing for things does not make them so, I am displeased to inform you all that I do not own any part of Alice in Wonderland, nor the characters within.

* * *

Alice awoke in her own bed, the morning light stretching across her room as her silent alarm clock. She sat up suddenly, looking at the too-familiar surroundings in shock. Sanity dictated that previous events had, of course, been only the mad conjurings of her dreaming mind.

This time, however, she knew better. She had promised not to forget, and somehow the utterance must have made it so, because there was no doubt in her mind that Wonderland, or Underland as she now knew it to be, was a true place, and the inhabitants were true people, true friends. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of them all, and she found herself regretting downing the Jabberwocky blood, and with so little thought.

Urgent business, she told herself, had called her away from that place. Really though, what excuse did she have now? She had denied Hamish an engagement, furthered the expansion of her father's enterprise, and had even informed her sister of her husband's unfaithful ways when it became quite clear that he would not be changing them. What had she left to do in this dreary world?

"Well for starters, breakfast with Mother." she said out loud as she climbed out of bed.

Dressing herself was boring. The clothing here just didn't have the same flair that was found in abundance in Underland. In fact, it seemed that she could engage in no activity whatsoever without being reminded of how inferior it was to its Underland counterpart. Why was it that she felt so out of place in the world in which she actually belonged?

As she headed downstairs to the breakfast table, she found herself thinking of impossible things that had turned out to be, in actuality, quite possible. Bread-and-butter flies. Chessboard battlefields. Bandersnatch riding. Impossibly green eyes…

"Oh Hatter…" she whispered, sadness staining her voice.

"What was that dear? I didn't quite catch it."

Alice was yanked from her thoughts by her mother's always-practical tone of voice. She excused herself for mumbling, it was nothing really, and sat herself at the breakfast table.

"Just like your father, as always. Forever lost in some other world that us ordinary types could never hope to fathom. One would almost think it was a factual place from which you both hailed, if one were so inclined to such silly notions."

The young woman nearly choked on her food as quite a silly notion indeed had abruptly pierced her mind.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed, completely to herself.

"Well of course it is dear, that's what makes it silly now, isn't it?" her mother replied blandly, used to Alice's strange outbursts by this time.

"I apologize for cutting breakfast so short Mother, but I have some pressing matters to attend to, and I really must be on my way!"

Before her mother had a chance to respond, the young woman had hastened away, a whirl of pale skin and blonde curls disappearing out the door.


	2. Hurry Along, You're Already Late

"Alice? Are you in here?" Margaret managed to sound both chipper and worried, a difficult vocal task that she had mastered long ago.

Books and loose documents crashed to the floor, a flock of musty parchments dislodged from their precarious locations as Alice's head jerked away from the desk she had evidently fallen asleep on. Margaret sighed, but she tried her best to be patient with her sister.

"You know, bedrooms are much more suitable for sleeping than dusty studies." she commented, examining the title of a book as she picked it up. "Delving into the family history now are you?"

Alice rubbed the sleep from her eyes and nodded. "Am I late for something again?"

"Aren't you always, dear sister?"

"What is it this time?"

"The tea party with Mother's friends that you have known about for a week."

The younger sibling visibly perked up, but the expression was lost so quickly that one could hardly be sure that it had been there at all. Margaret was puzzled of course, but said nothing. It was not uncommon for Alice to take peculiar moods these days.

"Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you." Alice managed, and she stood to shoo her sister out the door, though not before relieving her of the book she had acquired. She yawned and stretched, trying to rid herself of the last of her sleepiness, when out of the corner of her eye she saw a folded bit of paper flutter to the floor from the book in her outstretched hand.

As curious as ever, Alice retrieved the note and unfolded it. Very little was written there, but the information apparently startled the woman mightily, because she tossed it and the book onto the desk and sprinted full-tilt out the door, careened around the hallway's corner, and skidded to a stop outside only for the brief time it took to secure a carriage to her destination. The tea party she would miss never crossed her mind.

The ride was painstakingly slow, and Alice's impatience grew as the minutes passed. She reminded herself of a certain white rabbit, but the memory of her friend only spurred her on all the more.

"Driver, can't we go any faster?" she insisted, mindlessly fiddling with an object of great importance to her that she also needed for this journey.

Meanwhile, Margaret had begun to look for her again, and upon investigating the study, had found the note that had so alarmed her dear sister.

"What's this?" she murmured to herself, glancing at the scrap of paper.

Several last names were listed, and all but one were crossed out. The surviving name was Kingsley.

'How odd.' she thought, and she set the paper back where she had found it, promptly putting it out of her mind and returning to the search for her tardy sister. Of course, she could not be successful, as the sister in question was racing with all manageable speed to a small, unassuming hole in the ground.

* * *

The rabbit hole was still in its proper place, much to Alice's relief, and for a moment she wondered just how safe it was to leave entrances to other worlds lying about for anyone clumsy (or curious) enough to fall into. If she was truthful with herself, she would have recognized the twinge of jealousy that she felt at the mere thought of anyone else from her world invading Underland, but she currently had more important things to attend to, and without further deliberation launched herself (feet first this time) into the dark, crumbling entryway. Alice remembered quite well the effect that her favorite place tended to have on clothing, and so she clutched the small item to her chest as she fell, lest it become lost.

Mentally prepared though she was, the fall was still nerve wracking, considering that she felt it possible that at any moment she might begin crashing against the floating objects surrounding her in some kind of bizarre, painful pinball game. She did manage to keep an eye out for any soft pieces of furniture that could help slow her descent, but her landing skills certainly left something to be desired. She rubbed an aching elbow and was hurrying off again, grabbing the key and potion and hastily making her way into her beloved Underland, clutching her now ridiculously oversized garments in one hand, the key to her new curiosity in the other.


	3. Alice Begins With M?

Being small was extremely disadvantageous. Not only was it difficult to get one's bearings based on a perspective that was seldom used, but there was also the problem of trying to walk while swimming in a dress many sizes too large, and it was considerably slowing her already sluggish pace. No cute little cakes with friendly icing appeared anywhere to invite her to eat, nor were any White Queens handy to concoct potions for her. Her situation beginning to wear on her, Alice sat gloomily on a nearby rock, and her melancholy began sapping the last bit of willpower that she had.

That is, until she heard the nearby grass rustling. Something was obviously darting this way and that, but was coming ever nearer. Alice's small stature made her nervous, and she decided that the best way to hide her nervousness was by being loud.

"WHO'S THERE?" she bellowed, trying her absolute best to sound imposing.

"Alice, is that you?" a little voice squeaked, and the voice was soon followed by a furry little head popping out between the blades of grass. "_The _Alice, that is? You're terrible at trying to sound imposing you know."

"Mallymkun!" she cried, kneeling down to embrace the dormouse in a warm hug. "Yes Mally, it's me! I've come back!" She tempered her excitement and continued on, more demurely. "Well, for a little while, at any rate."

"While it's good to see you Alice, I must admit that I'm late for tea, and if you are back in Underland for any length of time, you are as well. We must be getting along now."

"Oh, well, you see, the thing about that is-" Alice stuttered, "I was actually planning on visiting the White Queen before going anywhere else. You see, I have an important errand to run before-"

"Nonsense! There's always time for tea! Errands can just be patient!"

With that, Mallymkun grabbed the parcel that Alice had left beside her rock and began lugging it in the direction of a very specific clearing. Alice scrambled to help, but her poor mind was racing. This wasn't how she had planned it at all! It was too soon! She just wasn't ready to see him, to see…. _him._

"_Well if it isn't dear Alice, always late and always the wrong size."_

_That pleasant lisp startled Alice so greatly that she yelped and jumped back several feet (or what would have been several feet, had she been her correct size). As the shock wore off, her thoughts became more collected, and she was able to realize something. _

'_He didn't sound excited.' _

_She felt somehow crushed by the simple sentence he had spoken. It was cordial, sure, and certainly not at all hateful, but… Where was the unbridled joy that she had expected? Had she, after all, misinterpreted the look she had seen on his face as she faded away? The girl suddenly felt small, and it had nothing to do with her size._

"_Hello Hatter." she whispered. "It's good to see you again."_

_She felt herself picked up and set down again, and now her feet dangled over the edge of the table. It was a precarious position to be in for one so small, especially now that the Hare had begun throwing things again. Over the sound of breaking china, the Hatter's voice came to her again, and it lowered her spirits even further._

"_I do not wish to make another dress for you dear girl, so you will need to learn to stay your proper size." he said, pushing a tiny piece of cake towards her._

_If he saw the sad look cast his way, he gave no indication of it, and soon enough Alice had grown to her rightful size again, displacing several dishes as she did so. This too was met with the Hatter's scorn._

"_Please Alice, we only have so many dishes, it would be best if you did not knock them to the ground to be broken." This was said just as he expertly dodged a saucer hurtled towards him by the March Hare, which loudly collided with a tree just behind him. He did not seem to notice his unfairness._

"_Um.. I don't think I will be staying for tea after all. I seem to have lost my appetite." _

_The statement was meant for Mallymkun, but Alice could not tear her eyes from the Hatter who was being so cold towards her, and it was he that gave answer._

"_Probably a good thing, not much tea to go around today."_

_There were no goodbyes exchanged as Alice slipped quietly away, headed now for her original destination. Before she was out of hearing range however, the Hatter was overheard to speak casually to the March Hare, saying "Thackery, did you know that it is better to drink your tea and eat your tarts than to drink your tea with a tart?" Alice, normally prone to outbursts herself during times of ridicule, could only walk faster and choke back the lump that had formed in her throat._

"_What was that Hatta?" the dormouse demanded. "Just what do you think you are doing?" _

"_Hm? Oh me?" the Hatter sounded foggy now. "I was just pondering things that begin with the letter M. You know, things like Muchness.. Missing.. Marriages.. And Alice…"_

"_Nobody told me that they started spelling Alice with an M." interjected Thackery, just before losing focus again and dumping the cup of tea he had been holding in his lap while trying to inspect his jacket sleeve, having been pretty positive he had accidentally dipped it in the jam; and if you were going to do those things, you should do them on purpose of course._

"_Just what is all this about anyway Hatta, I thought you missed Alice?" squeaked the greatly confused mouse, ignoring the maddest of her friends._

"_Have you spoken to McTwisp at all, dear Mally? You really should. There is an awful lot that can be learned from him. Speaking of learning, did I already tell you that I was investigating things that begin with the letter M?"_

_Then, with no warning whatsoever, he dissolved into one of his rages, eyes burning furiously orange as he overturned the table with unfortunate Mallymkun still on it. The March Hare seemed not to take any notice at all, but went about being mad as usual. Hatter's violence continued until he felt a sharp stab in his ankle, provided through no small effort by his dear mousey friend._

"_HATTER! Calm yourself!"_

_The Hatter instantly slumped into an uncomfortable-looking seated position on an upside down chair, and Mallymkun could not help but see the tears in the corners of his now green eyes._

"_Thank you Mally, I'm alright." he said, sounding much like a chastised child._

_It was at this very moment that Mallymkun deemed it imperative to have a chat with one Nivens McTwisp._


	4. The Knight of Spades

The walk to the White Castle was a lonely one. Alice had thought, this being Underland and all, that some strange happenstance would find her traveling with the Tweedles again, or perhaps the Bandersnatch would come to give her a lift. Surely the air would split into a wide, creepy grin, and Chessur would have a nice chat with her. Instead, her only traveling companions were her own thoughts, and being alone with them was beginning to drive her, well, a bit mad.

The silence around her was deafening in its completeness, and she found it necessary to shatter it, and began a little tune. She hummed it quietly at first, then a bit louder, and by the time she was ready to repeat the little song, she was singing out loud.

"Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder what you're at. Up above the world so high, like a tea tray in the sky…"

The song ended on a loud sob as Alice finally broke, collapsing to her knees and burying her face in her hands as she cried out her misery until there were no tears left to cry. Spent, she was finally obliged to curl up under an enormous mushroom, where she still shivered now and again as her body recalled its weeping quakes, until she was able to drift into sweet, numbing sleep.

* * *

"Nivens McTwisp! Show yourself this instant!"

For having such a tiny voice, the dormouse was able to come off as quite commanding, and at the sound of her a nervous white rabbit skittered around the white corner of a white hallway at the sound, slid a little, regained control, and hopped to have a seat in front of the miniscule creature.

"S-something I c-can help with?" he asked, subconsciously fidgeting with one long, white ear.

"What is it that you've told Hatta? Alice has finally come back to us, and you've got the mad fool all set to chase her off again!" exclaimed the livid rodent.

"Alice is b-back? How lovely! O-oh, T-Tarrant? About that. Well, he asked about her you s-see."

"Of course he asked about her, she's been the only thing he can form a clear thought about since she left! What, specifically, did you tell him Nivens, and don't you dare beat around the bush!"

"W-well, he asked about her world, and where it was th-that I found her, and s-so I tried my best to describe it for him. It… it m-may have slipped that I retrieved her f-from an engagement party." Nivens visibly winced at the sound of his confession. "You know how he gets! He'd taken a mood!"

"You twit!" she thundered, "How could you tell him that? You know how he feels about Alice! We have to figure out a way to fix this, and quickly! Oh I should just stab you right on your backside!"

"Well that is a predicament, is it not?" asserted a lilting, dream-like voice.

The mood of the room was drastically changed by the mere sound of that sweet voice, and both creatures bowed low to their White Queen.

"No need for formalities just now dearies, Alice will be arriving any moment now, and I think this discussion should include her as well."

Mirana turned to glide out of the room, but appeared to have thought of something else worth mentioning.

"I do not think it would be appropriate to reveal Tarrant's true feelings to her, however. Shall we let him find his own way?"

Before they could answer, they were interrupted by a page standing in the doorway, who coughed loudly to get their attention.

"Your majesty the White Queen, _the_ Alice is here to see you."

* * *

_The _Alice was certainly more somber than Mirana remembered her to be, and she wondered if it had been a poor choice on her part to have this discussion over tea. The fine white china clinked daintily as she replaced it on its saucer. Even the beauty of this lovely courtyard could not stir Alice to smile, and Mirana decided it best to get right to business.

"Tell me champion, why have you returned to Underland?"

Alice started, a few drops of tea spilling from her cup to stain the otherwise spotless white tablecloth. She had almost forgotten her true reason, but now it became clear in her mind, and she slid a small photo across the table.

"Your majesty-"

"Please Alice, call me Mirana."

"Um, yes, Mirana.." she began again, the name feeling strange in her mouth as though it were a word only to be used in great reverence, and certainly not with such familiarity. "Do you recognize the man in that photograph?"

Something sparked in the Queen's eyes, and she let out a polite laugh reminiscent of tiny bells.

"Why yes of course I do you silly girl! This _is the Knight of Spades after all. He disappeared from Wonderland quite some time before you ever stepped foot here, but I would recognize him anywhere! He was always such a gentleman, and quite dashing! How odd he looks here, such strange clothes, and certainly older than when he left. Where did you acquire this strange picture my dear?"_

_It was only when Mirana eventually looked up from the photograph that she saw shock registered on her champion's face, and she tipped her head slightly to one side in curiosity, though she waited patiently for Alice's answer._

"_I received the picture from my mother some time ago, you see. After all, it's only right that a daughter should have a photo of her father to remember him by."_

"_Oh! Oh I see! I understand now why this revelation might be a little.. Unsettling for you. Do you need a moment dear?" Mirana asked, always the caring hostess._

"_No, I will be alright." Alice assured her. "I had begun to suspect it before I came back here, after all, so this is only confirmation of something I had already started to believe."_

_Truly, however, the girl felt faint, and it took enormous effort for her to retain her composure. This was it! This was the reason she had never felt quite at home in her own world, was never really accepted there, did not want to ever return there. This foreign land felt like some outlandish, lost home because she was a part of it! _

_Alice quickly realized that she no longer felt that pull from Overland, the sense of duty to return. Thoughts raced along so fast that she could barely touch them before they were replaced; endless ideas of making a home here, and the adventures that were sure to come about with her friends by her side! She could take her breakfast with Mirana now and then, walk with the Tweedles through the flowers, eavesdropping on their gossip, and take tea with… Take tea with.._

_Hatter._

_Mirana's gentle voice called her back with a question, spoken innocently enough._

"_Alice dear, it is wonderful to discover that you are of our world after all, and I am very certain that I speak for everyone when I express how lovely it would be if you were to stay here. However, you had been gone for quite some time, have you not made any commitments in your other world, such as business, or perhaps impending marriage?"_

"_Hmm?" Alice muttered distractedly, then shook her head. "Oh no, of course not. I mean, just before I came the last time I did receive a very uncomfortable proposal, but my first order of business when I went back was to suppress that idea!"_

_Mallymkun, who had been listening quietly by the teapot the whole time, suddenly burst out "I knew it!" but was discouraged from saying anything further by a discreet look from the Queen._

"_Alice, you must be very tired, and I am sure that you have a great deal to think about. Why don't you retire to one of the guest rooms for the night, and we will reconvene at breakfast?"_

_Alice nodded and said her good nights to all present before excusing herself to the company of the page who would be preparing the room for her. The moment she was gone, Mirana beckoned the white rabbit to her side._

"_Nivens, be a dear and fetch Tarrant, would you? Take the Bandersnatch if you must, I would like him here in time for breakfast. Oh, and Nivens? Please explain the misunderstanding to him on the way, there may not be time once he arrives."_


	5. The Apology Hat

"…and so you see T-Tarrant, Alice isn't engaged at all." the rabbit finished, ducking out of the way of a fork that had been determined to take one of his ears with it. Having been the bearer of bad news before, he probably should have considered a technique for beginning this talk other than "I have something I must tell you about Alice!"

He realized after a few moments that the air was no longer filled with the sounds of his impending doom, and ever so slowly, he opened his eyes and unflattened the delicate white ears, only to discover that the Hatter had disappeared entirely.

"Nivens you cowardly thing! Stop standing around, we must be off!" exclaimed the Hatter from behind him.

Ok, so maybe not entirely, but it was still surprising just how sneaky a madman could be! He was already mounted on the Bandersnatch, a wide, blissfully manic smile on his face. Nivens clambered up as well, inwardly dreading the ride back. Rabbits were not meant for riding bandersnatches, and looked quite silly on them besides. Tarrant, on the other hand, seemed quite comfortable, and at his urging they were able to make it to the White Castle before daybreak. However, being early left the Hatter with a new problem - What to do until breakfast?

For a Hatter with nothing to do, waiting led to pacing, which brought on worrying, which soon led to pacing and muttering, which in turn led to pacing quite quickly and arguing quite loudly with himself. Mostly, he argued about Alice, as she was always in the forefront of his scrambled thoughts, and whether or not she could accept him now that he had been so cruel to her. It did not take long before he had talked himself out of seeing her at all, for fear that she would reject his apology and never want to speak to him again, and he was halfway to the palace gate before the white rabbit could stop him.

"Tarrant, calm down! Please remember how kind miss Alice is, I am sure she has forgiven you already! You just need to focus on something else for awhile." The rabbit hopped up with the excitement of an idea. "Oh I know! Why don't you make her a hat Tarrant? It could be an apology gift."

Hatter straightened, a scheming glint in his eye. Making hats was, of course, his specialty. Making a hat for Alice was-

"Out of the question!" he roared.

There was not enough time. Oh sure, he could concoct something mind-shatteringly brilliant in almost no time at all, but it would not be meant as an art piece. A hat that perched itself upon Alice's head must be downright… Alicey! How could he, in all his madness, hope to assess what Alice might look like as a hat?

"Nevermind! I've got it!" he exclaimed, bolting into the castle to gather up the supplies he would need before the image left his mind.

Nivens was left wondering just what, exactly, had transpired.

* * *

Fours figures were seated at the breakfast table that morning. Actually, only three were. Mallymkun was seated on the table. The chairs were filled by Queen Mirana, Nivens, and Alice, the latter of whom seemed to be the only one not subtly eyeing the conspicuously empty seat. Mirana tactfully kept up light conversation, trying to distract Alice so that she would not be able to realize that they were waiting on more than just the food.

"Tell me champion, have you thought anymore about whether or not you would like to reside in Underland permanently?"

"Yes I have your maj - Mirana, and at great length, yet I have so far been unable to come to an acceptable conclusion." the young woman answered, subconsciously playing with her silverware as she waited.

"I see. What might be keeping you from your decision? Is it, perhaps, a matter of housing? I assure you that all of Underland is grateful to you for what you have done for us, and more than adequate lodging can be created for you. You could stay here in the castle until work is completed, you know."

"Yes miss Alice, why don't you stay here? It seems only right that you get better acquainted with Underland, seeing as how your father-" Mallymkun was unable to finish the sentence, because now there was Hatter, running into the room and looking half delirious, and yelling "It's finished!!"

Alice was glad that she had not been sipping anything at that moment, because she might have found herself strangled on it. The Hatter, foregoing any formalities that might have been had, shoved a battered, cylindrical box into Alice's lap, then took his seat at the table and spoke to the little mouse on his left.

"Mally, is there any tea to be had?" he asked.

"'Course there is Hatta, it's sitting on the table in front of you!" she squeaked.

"I call your bluff!" he retorted, pouring himself a cup and immediately throwing it over his shoulder. "Can't anyone here see that I need a gentleman's drink? Mirana, I must say dear, I find your hospitality appalling."

Mirana was hardly offended by this remark, and with a gentle smile she asked a servant for another cup, as well as some spares, just in case. While this exchange was taking place, Alice was carefully opening the box she had been given. Due to her most recent run-in with Hatter, she was a little on the apprehensive side about exposing whatever he might have decided was a good idea to give her.

The gasp she let out when she clearly saw the object inside, however, was one of awed surprise. It was a hat, of course; A top hat, to be more specific, about three-and-a-half inches tall, striped pale blue and paler silvery-blue. The accents were all a deep azure, and included a silk ribbon tied in a bow as well as netting peeked out from the inside. Even the hair comb attached to keep it in place - never to be seen when worn - was exquisite in detail.

"Hatter, this is-"

"Oh it's just a trifle girl, nothing to get worked up about."

Secretly, he had been casting glances her way, trying to catch the reaction she would have. Now he was catching her, for she had thrown herself into a tight hug around his neck.

"It's just beautiful, I can't wait to try it on!"

The Hatter awkwardly patted her back, trying not to let on just how pleased he really was, but knowing smiles and nods were passed between all of the other breakfast attendees.


	6. A Visitor

Sorry this chapter is so short guys, I promise the next one will be longer! Also, thanks to everyone who has left reviews, you guys really perk me up, and I continue writing for people like you who seem to be enjoying this drabble of mine. That said, on with the story!

~*~*~*~

"Hatter?"

"Yes Alice?"

"If you were mad at me, as it seemed you were, why would you give me a gift? I haven't even apologized to you, because I haven't been at all sure what it is that I should apologize for."

Hatter tilted his head, a lopsided smile playing upon his lips, a deceptively mischievous sparkle in those evergreen eyes.

"Dear girl, when have you ever done anything requiring an apology? I daresay that you should realize by now that I am given to spells of.. well, a dip in my sanity, shall we say?"

Despite the Hatter's idealistic view of her, Alice could think of plenty of times when her peculiar ways had caused her to do things that warranted requests for forgiveness. She had a feeling that there would be many more of these situations throughout the rest of her life. However, Alice's semi-reprehensible behaviors were not her main concern at this very moment.

"I don't think you're being truthful with me Hatter, and frankly I don't care for it much at all." she said, crossing her arms and frowning slightly.

"Alice, I hate to be the one to tell you, but everyone in all of Underland is aware of my madness. I'm a bit famous for it you know. I am sincerely sorry that you were left out of the loop."

Alice narrowed her eyes at him, her stubbornness kicking into high gear. "That isn't what I meant and you very well know it. I will not relent on this matter until you tell me what it was that made you so angry with me, and I do hope that you realize how incredibly serious I am."

Tarrant sighed and closed his eyes, momentarily concealing the glimmer in those luminous orbs as he rubbed his temples with bandaged fingertips in an uncharacteristically weary action. So the truth it was then? This would not go over well, and he was unprepared to face the consequences of expressing the feelings stashed deep within himself.

"Well, if truth be told, truthfully, the truth of the matter is that I truly -"

"Urgent message for the lady Alice!"

The voice rang out loudly, and ended in a somewhat embarrassing croak. The frog coughed a little and excused himself, while the Hatter made a mental note that he must send this fine fellow a gift basket in the near future.

"What message might that be?"

The airy utterance jolted Alice - so caught up had she been in her argument with Hatter that she had completely forgotten that they were not at all alone!

"She has a visitor at the front gate of the castle Your Majesty, says that it is of great importance that he speak with Underland's champion right away."

"And did you inquire as to who our champion's caller might be dear?" Mirana asked, obviously incredibly curious while still trying very hard indeed to preserve her regality.

"He told me, but I wouldn't have needed to ask Highness. It is the Knight of Spades coming to call on Alice."


	7. Father

*Cough* Sorry for this detour, I promise the next chapter will feature the Hatter much more prominently!

Wait! That is, I promise as long as you review! If not, I withhold Hatter-y goodness from you all!

~*~*~*~*~*~

If an outside observer were to have looked in on the scene for only a moment, they might have mistakenly thought that Alice had not heard the conversation that was happening around her, because at first glance she appeared not to have noticed. However, were such an observer to stick around a bit longer, they would have realized that the poor girl was stock still, staring straight ahead as though made of stone. Needless to say, Alice was in shock; her mind had gone blank, limbs had gone numb, eyes had glazed over. Underland had many strange and unique experiences to offer her, and she had tried very hard to not be surprised by anything, but a meeting with her (supposedly) dead father was a bit much.

Her shoulder was shaking, gently. It took her a moment to realize that it was not doing so of its own volition, but rather was being shaken by a hand, which must be connected to a person, calling her out of her reverie

"You mustn't keep him waiting Alice, I am sure he has traveled quite some distance to see you."

Alice looked at the White Queen blankly, but she stood up slowly all the same and let herself be guided all the way to the front gates of the castle. Though she couldn't quite put her finger on just exactly where the connection to her current situation was, she felt somewhat like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Then, far too soon, there he was in front of her, still mounted on a beautiful dapple grey horse. In his beautifully-tailored black and grey knight's clothing, perched high on his steed with impeccable posture and a warm, loving smile, he looked positively noble.

The young woman's first instinct was to run to him, tears in her eyes, to leap up so that he would gather her into a strong, reassuring hug that can only be provided by a girl's father. The only part of that scenario that actually took place, however, was the part where her eyes were brimming with tears.

They were angry tears. Angry, confused, hurt, betrayed tears.

They streamed uncontrollably down her face, while her hands clenched into painful fists at her sides. At this sight, Charles' smile faltered.

"I thought you would be happy to see me, Alice." He sounded heartbreakingly sad.

"How COULD you?!" she cried, her anger bursting forth at last. "I thought you were DEAD!! We ALL thought you were dead! How could you leave us like that, let us think that?!"

Then, in the middle of her rant, Alice had a thought, and her expression changed to one of shocked accusation. Her voice lowered to a level that was only a hair's breadth from a whisper, and she was slowly backing away from the man in front of her.

"You are not my father. So many things in this world are not what they seem to be, and you are no exception. You must be a shape shifter like Chess, come to play a cruel trick on me. Well, I'll not be a participant in this game any longer."

She ran then, as swiftly as her legs would carry her, back into the castle. She ran until she could run no further, and yanked open the nearest door so that she might disappear inside. She wanted to be alone now, to collect her thoughts, and maybe she would never leave this room at all, such was the depth of her melancholy. It seemed that ever since she had come back to Underland, all she had found was heartache.

The air beside her shimmered for just a moment before splitting into a wide grin.

"Go away Chess." she grumbled, sniffling and wiping at her puffy eyes. "I'm not in the mood to chat just now."

"Oh but I heard you mention me, and I just had to investigate the situation!" the cat purred, appearing fully now. "You know, that man really is the Knight of Spades. I'd be able to tell if he wasn't who he claims he is, but he is the genuine article."

"Well I don't care, I don't want to talk to him." she declared.

"Suit yourself miss." Chess said, shrugging as he disappeared in a cloud of multicolored smoke.

Only a few minutes passed before there was a knock at the door, but she did not have time to utter her intended "Go away" before it was swung open to reveal her father. He sat down beside her wordlessly, trying to give her the chance to speak first. All she said was: "I wonder if it is a crime in Underland to skin a Cheshire cat?"

"Alice darling, please let me explain myself. I had no choice but to come back to Underland. One can only stay gone for so long before it starts to call you back, and the longer you stay away, the stronger the call becomes. Eventually you are given no alternative but to heed its siren song, or you truly will die. Once you use up all of your time, you will never be able to return to Overland."

"And what of mother, and Margaret? What of me? You left us there! What were we to you? Your play family? A collection of realistic dolls to be toyed with and left behind when it was time to go home?"

"Alice! How could you think that? I love all of you very much! I.. I would have loved to have brought all of you here with me, but it doesn't work that way. I never spoke of this place to any of you; you would have thought me insane. If I could have, I would have just brought you all here, but the road to Underland is not as unbiased as it might seem; Overlanders cannot cross the bridge between our worlds."

"So.. So you mean that mother could never have come here at all? But.. Margaret and I.."

"Alice, Margaret is your half sister. She was just a tiny little thing when I met your mother, but all the same she has no part of Underland in her, not like you do."

All of these revelations were getting to be too much for Alice, and it made her head ache immensely. So many things she had just taken for granted were not at all true!

"You could have brought me with you." she whispered.

"And taken you away from your mother? I could never do that to her, or to your sister. I knew in my heart that you would find your way here when the time was right, and of course you did. Do you know how badly I wanted to tell you that those were not nightmares that you were having? That it was a spectacular world where we both belonged? But I waited for you, I waited so long for my little girl to make it here, and now you have!"

He caught her up in a tight embrace, and she could not help but to return it. The tears were back, but now they spoke of different emotions, of happiness and love, and of gaining something you thought you had lost for good.


	8. The Celebration, Days 1 through 6

If you have never heard a frog yawn, I highly suggest that you find yourself a frog to accompany until you do; it is a most delightful sound, everyone should hear it at least once in their life. Pity no one was around this morning, because that is exactly what one frog in particular was doing, while heading to the door of his room. He was in the servants' quarters of Mamoreal, and was just getting ready to have a spot of tea, a nibble of breakfast, before attending to his regular duties. If he had been paying more attention to where he was going instead of trying to decide what he might eat, he would not have left his room so carelessly, and would have avoided the resulting trip and fall, quite comically I might add, onto his face. Standing up and rubbing his chin, he turned to see that the object in his path was a lovely (if a bit smooshed now) gift basket, full of an impressive array of packaged tea, biscuits, fruits, and a tiny hat.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had now been several months since the incident of Alice's reunion with her father (and since the frog yawned that inimitable yawn!), and now it was a time of celebration in Underland. Work had been completed on Alice's cottage, and now it was time for the week-long party to commence. ("Don't worry dear, we won't have it at your house." Mirana had winked.) The Underlandians were using the excuse that it was a housewarming party, of course; though in actuality their happiness was spurred on by Alice's announcement that she would stay with them permanently.

The largest meadow in all of Underland had been transformed for the event; it now looked more like a carnival fairground than anything else, what with its multitude of ride, games, and foods. Banners had been hung with various congratulatory messages for Alice, and it seemed that everyone in all of Underland was present.

The Celebration: The First Day

"Hatter! You made it!" came Alice's gleeful cry.

"Made what?!" he demanded, looking alarmed and suspicious.

Alice ignored the question and hugged her friend tightly, who in turn hugged her with one arm and patted her head with his free hand. He did not see the tiny frown that passed over her face like a swift shadow, and it was gone as quickly as it had come. To Alice, it seemed that everyone else around her constantly commented on her deep friendship with the Hatter, but he was left out of this knowledge; his comfort level around her hadn't improved at all even with her being there continuously.

'Well, at least he doesn't hate me anymore, that's a start.' she thought, a tad bitterly.

"Alice Alice! Come and dance with me!"

"She's not going to dance with you, I asked first!"

"Did not, I clearly asked first, and I'm handsomer anyways!"

"No how are you handsomer than me, or a Bandersnatch either!"

"Tweedles!" Alice laughed the name, her sense of merriment returning. "I shall dance with you both!"

True to her word, Alice danced with both Tweedles, all three holding hands and prancing around in a circle like small children, with only the occasional shoving of each of the Tweedles trying to get closer to Alice than his brother. When there was a break in the music, she politely excused herself, promising to play with them again later. It was her intention to force Hatter into the next dance with her, as she had a sneaking suspicion that he would not go along willingly. However, upon surveying the crowd, she could find no telltale flash of orange hair or brightly-colored suit. Distracted, she bumped into Mirana.

"Oh excuse me, I wasn't paying enough attention! Um.. Mirana? Have you seen Hatter lately?"

Mirana tilted her head just the slightest bit and pouted her lips as she thought. "You know dear girl, now that you mention it I remember hearing him tell Thackery that he was a bit drained, and was heading home."

"Oh I see.. But he only just got here."

The Celebration: The Second Day

Alice awoke in a festive tent - one of many that surrounded the meadow for the convenience of the party-goers. After dressing, she went out immediately to find Hatter - she wouldn't let him get away again this time! She found him quickly, surrounded by a small group of people (and animals) who were watching him drink his tea. Normally his tea-drinking would not have caused a stir at all, but it was interesting to see him balancing, upside down, on his hat, jacket tails trailing the ground, and chatting and drinking as though nothing were amiss.

Upon seeing Alice squeeze herself to the front of the crowd, he promptly crashed, causing the girl to giggle before grabbing his hand and running off with him.

"Alice! I wasn't finished with my tea! If I don't go back straight away, the ground will have sopped it all up!" he exclaimed, the tiniest bit of panic evident in his voice.

"Well the ground can have your tea, as I have not had breakfast yet and wish to have company while I eat. You can have more tea then." she said, turning to flash her unwittingly brilliant smile at him.

"Mush." he muttered.

"What was that?" she asked quizzically.

"Oh nothing, just another M word I thought of."

Mush, he realized, was exactly what he felt like every time she deigned to cast that smile in his direction, every time her eyes lit up at seeing him, every time she held his hand.

Wait. Held his hand? For the love of momeraths, she was holding his hand! Ok, she was more dragging him along by his hand, but there was still definite hand-to-hand contact going on here!

"Oh look!" he shouted, the brogue much louder than it should have been. "A food stand! I'll go see what they have to offer!"

He tugged himself away from her and ran towards the food stand, and then straight past it, not even bothering to be sneaky about his escape.

Alice felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see her father's smiling face looking down at her.

"Where is he off to in such a hurry?" he asked.

"I think the better question is, what is he moving away from in such a hurry." she answered quietly.

The Celebration: The Third Day

Wandering around the vast meadow, filled with merriment, laughter, and music, Alice was sad. Hatter had not come at all that day.

The Celebration: The Fourth Day

On the fourth day of Alice's housewarming party, she was nowhere to be found. In fact, neither her nor Hatter could be found on The Fifth Day either. However, then came The Sixth Day.

The Celebration: The Sixth Day

Alice had gotten up and willed herself to dress nicely, fix her hair, and face the party again. She had thought to herself that it was no good hiding in her tent the whole time, and she may as well cheer up some, after all. Cheering up was not as easy as just willing it, she found, because she only felt lonelier surrounded by all of these people when she could glimpse no sight of the one person she actually wanted to spend time with,

"Alice!"

She looked up at the sound of her name, but could not discern where it was coming from through the chaos of the party.

"Alice! There you are!"

And all at once, he was there - not running away from her, but running towards her, and as soon as he was upon her he took her up into a fierce hug, twirling about as he embraced her.

"Alice, I've found you."

That adorable lisp did it to her every time. She smiled softly.

"Are you yourself again, Hatter?"

"I have come to a very important conclusion, Alice, and in so doing I believe I have become myself again."

"Then I have finally found you as well. Tell me, what important conclusion have you come to?"

Hatter took of his beloved hat, fidgeting with it nervously as he spoke, but the whole while he had a brilliant grin on his face that was just irresistible.

"Well, if truth be told, truthfully, the truth of the matter is that I truly… love you, Alice. That was not my important conclusion though, you see I've already known that part for quite some time. I have finally decided, however, that it is alright for me to love you, even if you can never love me back."

He smiled again, and reached to give her another hug, but she pushed him gently away. He thought it might be like this.

"Hatter, would I be correct if I assumed that you think it is impossible for me to love you?" she asked, in a voice that gave nothing away.

"Well, yes, I suppose that's about the long and short of the situation."

"Have I ever told you that sometimes I think as many as six impossible things before breakfast? Come to think of it, there's a particularly impossible thought popping into my head as we speak."

Then, much to the Hatter's surprise, his lips met with hers, through no fault of his own. She kissed him softly, for a long time - at least, it seemed a long time to Hatter, for it always seems a long time to a person whose heart is stopped. She pulled away a little reluctantly, and placed a warm hand on his face.

"Hatter, no matter how impossible, I love you as well, and I always will."

Now, I would like to say that they went that very moment to make the announcement to everyone else, but that was not how it happened. What did happen was that Hatter fell into a dead faint from the shock, and had to be revived with smelling salts several minutes later. He awoke to find himself not on the ground, but with his head on Alice's lap, her hand gently stroking his hair while those miraculous eyes of hers looked down at him with such great concern.

He nearly fainted again, but instead he sat himself up and pulled the young woman over, kissing her deeply - much to the delight of all those gathered around the couple.

"I love you." he said, and it showed so clearly on his face, as his emotions always did.

"Move in with me." she countered. "I love you too."

"Marry me." he said, more a statement than a question. "I love you more."

"Tomorrow." she answered. "And not a day later."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hope everyone liked this chapter. The one that follows will be the last - thanks for all of the encouragement and support!


	9. The Seventh Day of Celebration

The seventh day of the celebration was the most extravagant yet, and all of Underland was in a commotion over the sudden wedding of one Alice Kingsley to their very own mad Hatter. Debates were being held all across the meadow; Whose name would be taken? What would the rings look like? Where would the couple come up with clothes on such short notice? The meadow itself had been hurriedly redecorated for the occasion, and a gigantic, decadent cake had been prepared as well. A myriad of refreshments were at the guests' disposal, but cool drinks could not slow the endless streams of speculation that mixed together into a quiet roar.

What did cause the cessation of all the gossip was the appearance of the Hatter. He was dressed head to toe in dark blue brocade, a finely tailored suit with a matching top hat, all trimmed in pale silver. Accompanying him was his best man, Thackery, who was doing his best to be a socially proper as he could, by Underland standards anyway. To help keep him calm, the Hatter had promised to let him throw flowers and rice later, since apparently this was an Overland tradition, and the March Hare did so love lobbing objects with all the force he could muster.

They took their places under the ornate pavilion where the White Queen was waiting to perform the ceremony, Hatter all the time beaming like a fool, though his incessant hand-wringing gave away his nervousness. It was such a spur of the moment decision, what if she had changed her mind? He couldn't blame her if she suddenly recognized the folly of marrying a madman, and had run away back to Overland. God, not that. Even if she decided that she would not have him, at least let her stay in his world. He would rather that he lost her, but be able to watch her from a distance, than to lose her presence for good. Now his grin faltered, just the tiniest bit, but Mirana's soft voice behind him instructed "Look.", and all at once there was no smile at all, just wide-eyed gaping, mouth hanging barely open for several seconds before he whispered his bride-to-be's name.

"Alice.." Two syllables, etched with awe and admiration, deep love and even a certain reverence.

She was making her way slowly to the front of the crowd arm in arm with her father, who could not have looked prouder. All eyes were drawn to her, but she had eyes only for her Hatter. The dress she wore was much like the fanciful creation she had worn when she had first come back to Underland, though the skirt was much more full and had a very long train sweeping out in her wake. She also wore the hat that had been created for her by the man she was drawing steadily nearer to, with added netting veiling her eyes, and her luxurious blonde hair was drawn back into a waterfall of ringlets that caressed her pale, bare back.

Her ensemble complemented the Hatter's perfectly, all silvery-blue and trimmed in the exact dark shade his outfit was mostly comprised of. If anyone in Underland had doubted that they would make a lovely match, all traces of such sentiments were washed away as she disengaged from Charles with a kiss to his cheek and finally took her place beside her Hatter.

"You look lovely." This whisper came from her tiny bridesmaid, standing nearby on the pavilion's railing.

Alice smiled in response, then turned to face Mirana as the White Queen began the ceremony.

"Underland, hear my words! Today I am given the honor, the unique privilege, of bringing together in blessed union the hero Tarrant, our very own Hatter, and miss Alice Kingsley, champion of Underland!" Mirana waited for the celebratory roar to die down before she continued, addressing now the Hatter personally.

"Tarrant, is it your wish to be bound to the soul of Alice, that you shall accompany her during her greatest triumphs, and bring comfort during her darkest hours? Will you love her unconditionally and without restraint, until the very end of your days?"

Hatter's smile was small, but spoke volumes as he slid the silver-colored ring onto his beloved's finger. The diamonds that sparkled in their white-gold frame could never hope to match the light found in the green of his eyes. "I could think of nothing real or imagined that could make me happier." he said, more to Alice than to Mirana.

"Wonderful. Dear Alice, is it your wish to be bound to the soul of Tarrant, that you shall accompany him during his greatest triumphs, and bring comfort during his darkest hours? Will you love him unconditionally and without restraint, until the very end of your days?"

It was Alice's turn to present Tarrant with his ring, and she took his hand in one of her own, slipping it onto his finger with the other. Just the touch of his hand electrified her senses, and she continued to hold it while she answered. "To the end of my days, and I shall continue on even then, such is my love for him."

Mirana's warm smile was evidence of the way this moment touched her, and she was deeply happy to be the one who brought these two together.

"Then by my order as the White Queen of Underland, as witnessed by all those present on this day, I proclaim that you are wed. Please seal your contract with a kiss."

No one had to tell them twice; Tarrant caught the slim frame of his love into a lifting embrace, and her arms twined around his neck as they came together in a kiss of infinite passion. When it was over and the Hatter was able to tear his eyes away from his new bride, he seemed to have just realized that everyone was still there. He looked a bit sheepish about the intensity of their kiss, but Alice only grinned and took his hand, running back down the aisle with him.

"Now Thackery!" Mallymkun squeaked, and the Hare jumped as though he had been bitten, then realized what was going on and began throwing a mix of rice and flower petals that had been waiting for him. Hundreds of baskets filled with the mixture had been dispersed through the crowd, and now the air exploded with the fragrant petals like flower-filled fireworks.

The festivities ran late into the night, what with dancing and toasts and merrymaking of all kinds to be had, and everyone in Underland wanted to offer their congratulations to the blissful couple. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, they quietly slipped away from the ongoing party to the quiet cottage that they would be sharing from now on.

Tarrant scooped his lovely bride into his arms and carried her over the threshold, not setting her down until he reached the bedroom. A fierce blush had crept into his cheeks, but Alice pretended not to notice. Instead, she playfully tugged him down onto the bed with her, giggling as she shrouded them in blankets that were only lifted when articles of clothing needed to be thrown to the floor.

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Big thanks to everyone who left reviews, you guys kept me going until I could bring this story to a close. I hope you like the way it panned out, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on this final chapter. =^-^=


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